Diaphragm vestibule structure for railway cars



Sept. 18, 1945. w. M. KELLER 2,385,133

7 eDIPHRAGM VESTIBULE STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Feb. 18, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' INVENTOR; William/H. Eel/e1,

ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 18, 1945. w. M. KELLER 2,385,138

DIAPHRAGM VESTIBULE STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Feb; 18, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 F!G 2 F 33 IN VEN TOR:

vBY G am/M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A DIAPHRAGM VESTIBULE STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS William M. Keller, Merion, Pa., assignor to The Pennsylvania Railrod Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 18, 1944, Serial No. 522,862

'2 Claims.

This invention relates to diaphragm vestibule structures for railway cars. Ordinarily in such structures the collapsible flexible diaphragm interposed betweenthe face plate and the car end extends only across the top and down the side of the vestibule opening. As a consequence gaps are left between the lower ends of the pendent side portions of the diaphragm and the usual threshold plate which issomewhat narrower in width than the vestibule opening.

My invention has for its chief aim to eliminate these gaps with a view toward precluding drafts and entry of smoke or dust, and to generally render a vestibule structure of the kind referred to weather-tight. This desideratum I make possible of realization in practice as hereinafter more fully set forth, by providing a gap-closing means in the form of a supplemental collapsible diaphragm section which is shaped to extend crosswise of the bottom of the vestibule between the face plate and the car end beneath the threshold plate and upwardly beyond the ends of the latter plate into overlapping relation with the pendent side portions of the diaphragms. In new cars, or in instances when diaphragm replacements are made necessary on old cars by reason of wear, diaphragms may be provided in accordance with my invention, to extend completely around the face plates and the car ends as will also be more fully disclosed later herein.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing the end portion of a railway car with a, diaphragm vestibule conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows IIII in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken as indicated by the angled arrows III-III in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken as indicated by the angled arrows IV-IV in Figs. 2 and 3.

With more detailed reference to these drawings, the numeral l0 designates the usual face plate of the diaphragm vestibule structure, the vertical oblong opening II of said plate corresponding substantially in size to the exit opening in the end of the car body I 2. As shown, the face plate ll! is supported at the top by a transversely arranged leaf spring l3 whereof the ends are slidably engaged in brackets such as the one indicated at [4 on the car body l2. Through links IS, the lower corners of the face plate [0 are connected to rods l6 guided for endwise movement in brackets afiixed to opposite sides of the underframe ll of the car body [2, one of these guides being indicated at l8 in Fig. 1. Helical springs llsurrounding the rods l6 and compressed between heads 20 at the outer ends of said rods and the guide brackets l8 cooperate with the leaf spring l3 in maintaining the face plate It] in yielding frictional contact with the corresponding face plate of an adjacent car (not shown) in a well known manner. The face plate Ii] is additionallysupported by a pair of suspension rods 2| the upper end of each of which passes through a fixed eye bracket 22 on the end of the car body l2 as instanced in Fig. 1, and the lower end of which is pivotally connected at 23 to a bottom corner of said plate. A helical compression spring 24 is interposed between a head 25 at the top end of each suspension rod 2| and the corresponding eye bracket 22 and serves as a cushioning means. Due to being suspended in the manner described, the face plate l0 can take various angular positions for maintenance in coplanar relation with the face plate of an adjoining car as required during rounding of curves by a train in which the cars may be interposed, as well as during relative vertical and lateral movement of the bodies of the cars incident to travel in a manner well understood by those familiar with the art. The pleated collapsible diaphragm 26 is fashioned as usual from flexible sheet material and suitably connected at the front to the face plate and at the rear to the car body. Also after prevalent practice, the diaphragm 26 extends only crosswise of the top of the face plate opening and down along the opposite sides of said opening to a level 21.

(see Fig. 4) slightly above that of the threshold plate 28 which is connected to said face plate so as to move therewith. Open spaces or gaps are thus left between'the bottom ends 21 of the diaphragm 26 and the rounded end of the threshold plate 28 which is somewhat narrower in width than the vestibule opening.

In order to preclude drafts and to prevent the entry of dust and dirt at these gaps, I have provicled a pleated supplemental diaphragm section 30, which, like the main diaphragm 26, is of flexible material. As shown this supplemental diaphragm section reaches crosswise of the bottom of the vestible opening beneath the threshhold plate 28, and at its sides has upward prolongations 3| which overlap the pendent side portions of the diaphragm 26. By reason of the limited clearance space between the projecting portion Ila of the car underframe l! and the coupler (not shown) the supplemental diaphragm section 30 is made narrower than the diaphragm 26 and with smaller pleats. At the front the supplemental diaphragm section 39 is suitably connected to the face plate In, and at the rear it is attached to the underframe H of the car body with the aid of marginal cover strips such as the one indicated at 32 in Fig, 1, so as to expand and collapse with the diaphragm 26. Preferably the upward side extensions of the supplemental diaphragm section 30 are either sewed or cemented to the diaphragm as at 33 in Fig, 1.

Diaphragm vestibules modified according to my invention are advantageous in that they favor the maintenance of more uniform atmospheric conditions within the component cars of a'train. They also make it feasible to heat the Vestibules in extremelycold weather thereby increasing the comfort of passengers incident to walking from one car into another of a train. In installations for new cars or in instances when replacements are necessary in old cars, I may provide, in accordance with my invention, a complete diaphragm with small pleats comparable to those of the auxiliary diaphragm section hereinbefore described, to wholly surround the openings in the face plates of collapsible vestibules with attainment of all the advantages hereinbefore pointed out.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A railway car vestibule structure having a face plate; a collapsible diaphragm interposed between said face plate and the car end, and extending across the top and down along the sides of the vestibule opening; a threshold plate movable with the face plate; and means collapsible with the diaphragm for closing gaps left between the bottom ends of the diaphragm and the ends of the vestibule threshhold plate of the car at the bottom of the vestibule opening, said gap-closing means being in the form of a supplemental diaphragm section of flexible material extending crosswise beneath the threshhold plate and upward of the opposite ends of the latter into lapping relation with the side portions of the main diaphragm, and attached front and rear to the vestibule face plate and the car end.

.2. A railway car vestibule structure having a [5 face plate; a collapsible diaphragm interposed between said face plate and the car end and extending across the top and down along the sides of the vestibule opening; a threshold plate movable with the face plate; and means collapsible with the diaphragm for closing gaps left between the bottom ends of the diaphragm and the ends of the vestibule threshhold plate of the car at the bottom of the vestibule opening, said gap-closing means being in the form of a supplemental g5 diaphragm of flexible material extending crosswise beneath the threshhold plate and upward of the opposite ends of the latter into lapping relation with the pendant side portions of the main diaphragm, the horizontal portion of said supplemental diaphragm section being attached at the front and the rear to the face plate and the car end, and having its upturned ends secured to said main diaphragm,

WILLIAM M. KELLER. 

